Chlorine dioxide is a well-known disinfecting agent and has been used for water cleaning and water processing since the 1950s. Chlorine dioxide is notorious labile compound as it is a powerful oxidizing agent. As chlorine dioxide generally is regarded as unstable during storage in aqueous solutions, numerous technical disclosures advice systems and devices how to produce chlorine dioxide at the point of use. One commonly employed is to combine a solution of sodium chlorite with a strong acidic solution, for example comprising hydrochloric acid in order to produce immediately applicable chlorine dioxide formulations. WO 2007/079287 (CDG Technology Inc.) discloses methodologies to stabilize dilute chlorine dioxide solutions in order to prolong product shelf life. WO 2009/058530 (Ecolab) discloses compositions exhibiting low concentrations of chlorine dioxide together with an anionic surfactant, which demonstrate efficacy for inactivating coccidian parasites.
U.S. Patent application 2009/0028965 (Clinimax Limited) discloses a multi-part composition capable of generating a chlorine dioxide solution at point use. The resulting compositions comprise, besides dilute chlorine dioxide, sodium lauryl sulphate as a detergent and hold a pH at about 5.0. Even if this document allegedly exhibits promising results, related products and other chlorine dioxide releasing products appear to have limited effects on spores of Clostridium difficile when tested in health care environmental sites, see S D Goldenberg et al. in Journal of Hospital Infection, 2012, Vol. 82, pp. 64-67. The problem is also confirmed by S. Ali et al in Journal of Hospital Infection, 2011 Vol. 79, pp 78-79, wherein it is reported that commercial sporicidal preparations fail to satisfyingly eliminate spores on surfaces even if they apparently meet sporicidal requirements when tested on spore suspension tubes. It is evident that there both is a lack of effective disinfectants and also test methodologies to ascertain effectiveness against surface associated spores from Clostridium difficile and similar pathologic spore forming organisms.
It would therefore be strongly desirable to provide suitably stable and dilute chlorine dioxide solutions adapted to effectively inhibit also spores of virulent spore forms of virulent bacteria, such as Clostridium difficile on surfaces in hospital environments. Advantageously, such disinfective solution should be safe to store and handle, while being convenient to administer at exposed surfaces, also in populated hospital environments without needing any relocation to specifically designated sanitization areas, while counteracting corrosiveness and considering general hygienic limits for chlorine dioxide.